The Tears of a Broken Heart
by Girls' Wings
Summary: Sakura knows what it's like to be left alone. It's happened twice. And yet it still fathoms her that no one has taken a second glance at her. Until that Uchiha boy shows up. If she thought she had a heartache yesterday, just wait until she meets Sasuke...
1. Chapter 1: He's Back

**Chapter 1: He's Back**

"_Sakura!"_

_The pink-haired girl spun around just in time to see the shuriken, quickly dodging out of the way before her teammate and teacher reached her. "Sakura, that was too close."_

_Sakura shrugged at Kakashi. "Wouldn't be the first time. Won't be that last."_

_Just then she heard it. The tiny cry of the death beetle, and she suddenly flung herself off of the tree branch and right into the middle of the enemy's camp. "Well, well, Shino. I should've known."_

_The brown-haired boy stood statue still, his eyes dark behind his sunglasses, his body underneath his gray coat. His covered mouth whispered something and then the beetles started swarming towards Sakura._

_With her kunai at the ready, she waited._

"_Sakura!"_

"Sakura!"

She jumped awake from the banging of her door smashing against the floor. Suddenly, her arm was gripped tightly enough to cut off the blood flow, and she was thrown across the room, smashing through her closet doors again. "Get the fuck up!"

"Y-Yes sir," She muttered quietly, as Hikaru stomped back to his room, slamming his door behind him, making Sakura whimper.

Before she moved, she looked up at her calendar. Friday. Just like she thought. _Better get ready before he changes his mind about the bruises..._

Sakura held her breath as she stood, shaking slightly from the new pain. Using a little chakra to help her, she lifted the door back into place, silently planning to replace it later. And her closet doors.

Again.

"Happy birthday, Mom," Sakura whispered to her mother's picture that sat on her desk.

Then she started getting ready.

%%%

"Haruno-san, raise your hand so that Uchiha-san may see." Sakura lifted her left hand into the air, something Iruka-sensei hated, for some odd reason. She thought perhaps it was some sort of disrespect, but this time she didn't mean to do it. Her right arm was just still sore from where Hikaru had grabbed it that morning.

Iruka-sensei didn't miss it though. "Haruno-san! Detention!"

"Huh?" It was then that Sakura realized what she'd done. "Oh...okay."

The new kid, by the name of Uchiha Sasuke, moved to sit on her right side, as on her left side were the windows. Sasuke could see out past her onto a landscape of green that seemed to go on forever, but he knew better. _Is this who he was talking about?_ Sasuke thought to himself. "Haruno-san?"

"Sakura works fine," She pasted the smile that fooled everyone on her face.

Except it didn't fool Sasuke, even if he didn't admit it.

"Okay, then Sakura, let me just lay some ground rules here. One: We are not friends. T—"

"Shouldn't be a problem. I'm not friends with jerks."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her interruption. "Two: I'm here to train, not for anything else, so don't get all googly-eyed at m—"

"Don't worry. That's Ino's job."

"And three—"

"_What is your problem?"_ Sakura hissed at him, leaning towards him.

"What's my problem?" Sasuke was getting angry with this girl. Where were her manners? Did she grow up in a cave? _"What's your problem?"_

"I don't have a problem except that the jerk beside me thinks he's all that." Sakura said in a little more than a whisper, just loud enough for Iruka-sensei to hear.

"Haruno-san! I'm sure you don't want a week's detention!"

Sakura straightened back up and sharply turned her gaze to out the window. Sasuke just caught what she muttered. "Don't see how it matters. I'm pretty sure the school doesn't have detention for corpses."

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat. _Did she just—?_

"Haruno Sakura," came Tsunade's voice from the doorway. Everyone looked except Sakura, who was watching the birds fly by, and Sasuke, who was staring at Sakura. "Come with me. You are needed for Ria."

Sakura suddenly gasped and jumped from her seat, startling Sasuke, which is very hard to do. "Ria?"

Sasuke could see the fear glittering in her eyes, startling him even more. _Who's Ria?_

He couldn't even wrap his mind around seeing her again. And now, some Ria person too?

"She'll be leaving soon," Tsunade said. "Come along now."

Sakura stood, frozen in place for a moment. _Ria's— _"No . . ." Sasuke heard her breathe, but then she shot from the room after the Tsunade. The entire class was silent from the shock.

Iruka-sensei recovered first, and then said, "Will Yamanaka Ino, Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke meet me in the hall please."

Sasuke remained seated while the four other students rose and, volleying worried glances between them, scooted silently out into the hall. By now, he could feel everybody watching him, waiting to see what he would do, but as soon as Iruka-sensei opened his mouth to call again, Sasuke stood and strolled out as if without a care in the world.

Big mistake.

Ino was right up in his face the moment he slid the door closed. "What the hell did you do?"

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow. "I didn't do anything, but what about you? You seem _so_ close to her."

"Bastard…" Ino muttered, before spinning on the teacher. "Iruka-sensei, why is _he_ here? He doesn't even know Sakura!"

Sasuke could tell he was already as beat as he felt. With a sigh, he answered. "Sakura made it clear this morning that she showed no interest in Sasuke, so I think he's the best person to join us."

Sasuke noticed everyone's gaze drift to the stiff boy, who was leaning up against the wall. From the way he was positioned—so confident in that slouch—the Uchiha could only assume he was that Hyuuga Neji person. As soon as it sank into his mind, though, Hyuuga glanced his way.

His eyes were cold, almost as cold as Sasuke's coal ones. Sasuke had heard of the clan, but never in a million years would he ever think white eyes could be so cold. Sighing, Sasuke snapped, "Listen, Hyuuga, I don't want anything to do with whatever it is all of you are dealing with, but I think I have a right to know about this Sakura girl."

Hyuuga Neji pushed up off the wall and appeared directly in front of him. His eyes narrowed when Sasuke didn't so much as blink. "Why?"

"Because I was there the night her mother died."

**%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%**

**Athey-Vee (aka Girls' Wings): Hope you like it! R&R please!**

**PS – I'm warning you now! Junior year is going to kick my butt, so updates are gonna be slow. (I know this because I'm currently working on Chapter 8-which I have been working on since July-it is currently November!) Point being:**

**I AM NOT ABANDONING THIS STORY!**

**NEVER EVER!**

**I AM JUST SLOW!**

**Thanks for your understanding. Enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2: She's Gone

**Chapter 2: She's Gone**

Everyone in the hall stopped breathing at what he said. Sasuke just stood there, staring that ninja down. How dare Hyuuga question his right to know what had caused Sakura to come out like this.

"W-What?"

Sasuke blinked at the blue-haired girl. It was the first time he'd heard her speak all morning, not even as the students had filed into their seats. He had thought she was the other Hyuuga, but her eyes now confirmed it. Those two were definitely related.

"Answer her."

Hyuuga was getting impatient; Sasuke could sense his restlessness. Obviously, Sakura was good friends with him, or else he had a crush on her, which Sasuke doubted. The Hyuuga clan was known for their lack of emotions.

"I was there the night her mother died. Or rather, the night she was murdered."

The blue-haired girl gasped, both hands flying to clasp over her mouth, but her wide snow eyes made it very clear to Sasuke that this Hyuuga was quite attached to those around her.

Not that he was really surprised.

Sakura had that effect on people.

Sasuke put the pieces together. "You didn't know?" He narrowed his eyes at Neji's intense gaze. "Hey, don't get me wrong, Hyuuga, I wouldn't have known myself if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

"Then you know who did it."

The coal-eyed ninja smirked, leaning up against the wall, arms crossed. "Oh, yeah, I know exactly who he is."

Suddenly, he was right up in Neji's face, not that he was one of the gasps that filled the hall. "But I have some personal business with him, and I won't let anyone get in my way." His coal-eyes suddenly shone blood red, his Sharigan now in place. _"And I will be the one to send him to Hell."_

%%%

_Knock, knock, knock._

"Mama…"

Sakura stood frozen in the doorway. _Ria…_Her mind pounded and her heart hurt, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and moved to the small girl's side. Ria looked so like her: pink hair, green eyes, athletic build. The only difference were that Ria's orbs were more forest-colored.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Sakura brushed a free strand of hair off her forehead. "How are you?"

"Fine." The small girl smiled.

"Fine, huh?" Tsunade smirked from her position against the wall. "If you're so fine, why did you make five nurses come in here every hour?"

Sakura whirled around to the ninja. "What?"

Tsunade barely blinked. "So they didn't tell you…" She sighed. "Can I speak to you in the hall?"

It wasn't really a question. Tsunade had already slipped out into the hallway before the sentence even reached Sakura's ears. Kissing Ria on the forehead, Sakura whispered, "I'll be back in a minute," and then she too left the room.

"What's going on?" Sakura whispered as she slid the door closed.

"Ria's body is shutting down."

Sakura blinked, confused. "But…we've known that…"

"No, her body is shutting down." Sakura gave the woman a confused look. "She's in the actual shut-down process. They don't expect her to survive the night."

"The night?" Sakura was already tearing up. "Ria's…_the night?_"

"I'm sorry, Sakura. We've done everything we could. If we knew more about what caused the injury, we might have been able to stop it sooner, but she's already given up." Tsunade turned to leave, but then finished over her shoulder. "I've spoken to Iruka. You've been excused for as long as you need."

And with that, she disappeared around the corner.

Sakura stood there in the hallway for who-knows-how-long, staring wide-teary-eyed after her mother's friend, waiting for her words to sink in. Finally, she swiped the water out of her eyes, put on her fake smile, and re-entered the room.

"Mama?" Sakura smiled as she settled back down on hospital bed. "Am I going to die?"

The tears threatened to erupt but Sakura pushed them back. She smiled, and shook her head.

"I'm not scared," Ria said. "You don't have to lie to me."

Sakura's orbs filled with tears then. She nodded in answer to her question.

"Will it hurt?"

Sakura shook her head, barely able to answer. "Y-You'll just…" Tears cascaded down her rosy cheeks now. "…Go to sleep."

"Will I wake up?"

Sakura smiled at the thought of Ria going someplace peaceful. "Yeah," she whispered. "You'll wake up in the most beautiful place you could ever imagine."

"Will you be there?"

The pink-haired ninja nodded.

"You can't die yet!" Ria practically shouted, making Sakura jump. "You still have things to finish here! You still have to finish school and make friends and explore the world and…" Ria blushed slightly, "Fall in love…"

Sakura joined her blush, turning her head to try to hide it, but her forest orbs picked up everything. "You have someone…"

Sakura looked back, then down, blushing even more.

"Tell me all about him!" Ria practically bounced into a sitting position. "Tell me! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me! C'mon, _tell me!_"

"Well," Sakura whispered, deciding against the fuzzy feelings growing inside of her with every passing second. "He thinks he's all that, he's irritating, he gets right up under my skin, he tries to lay ground rules down within three seconds of saying "Hi.", and he's tall, dark, and—" Sakura clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Was that 'tall, dark, and _mysterious_'?"

Sakura's face turned bright red, and Ria burst out laughing. Not three giggles in, Ria fell in to a coughing fit. Sakura, totally serious now, bounced to her side, rubbing circles up and down her back, trying to calm her.

Sakura had to admit, she was terrified. It sounded like the girl was choking on water. That next moment, though, she knew why.

Blood flew from her mouth and into her hand.

Not only did Sakura see it, but she heard the difference in the coughs it took for the blood to refill in her lungs.

Instinctively, Sakura shoved at the red button on the wall, and shouted, "Haruno Ria needs a doctor now! She's coughing up blood!"

Not three seconds later, five people came rushing in the door. The two doctors rushed about gathering tools, checking monitors, while two nurses resituated Ria into her lying down mode, and the last nurse ushered Sakura out the door. "We need you to wait out here, miss."

Sakura nodded, but remained standing right outside the shut door, ready to shoot back in when they called her.

"No! I won't! Leave me alone!" Sakura's heart was breaking at the sound of Ria crying. "MAMA! MAMA!"

Sakura ripped the door open and slithered past the nurse who tried to push her back out. Ria reached out to her, like a small child reaching for a hug. Sakura snuggled her close, shielding her from the others. Nurses pulled at her, but Sakura wouldn't budge. Ria needed her, and this is exactly where she'd stay.

One of the doctors shooed off the others and sat down on the bed in front of them, smiling gently at Sakura. "Miss," Sakura nodded to him in acknowledgment. "Your daughter won't put on the oxygen mask."

He held up the cup-like machine.

Ria snuggled closer to Sakura. "No…" she muttered.

Sakura nodded again to the doctor, who stood back up, trusting her to convince the girl. "Ria," the girl looked up at her, "you need to wear the oxygen mask."

"No."

"Ria…"

"Not gonna happen."

"But you'll die…"

"That's the point."

Sakura looked at her in confusion. "What?"

Ria smiled. "I know where I'm going to go and what I'm going to do. I want to go."

"But Ria…" Sakura's emerald orbs glistened with tears. "You can't leave me."

Ria smiled again. "Don't you remember what you used to tell me? 'Near or far, wherever you are, I'll come for you, 'cause that's what sisters do.' You think I'd leave you all alone to deal with _Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Mysterious_?"

"No." Sakura laughed. "Okay…"

And with that Sakura hugged her tightly and Ria closed her eyes for the last time.

**%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%**

**Athey-Vee:**

**I AM SO EPICALLY SORRY IT TOOK **_**FOREVER**_** TO UPDATE ANY OF MY STORIES! I PROMISE I WILL **_**NEVER**_** DO THAT **_**EVER**_** AGAIN!**

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_**I WILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN! I PROMISE!**_

**Anywho, thanks for waiting for it. I really appreciate it (and I actually appreciate the emails that reminded me to get back on it). Thanks again!**

**R&R!**


	3. Chapter 3: She's Burned

**Chapter 3: She's Singed**

With everything that was going on those past few days, Sakura had no interest whatsoever to leave the comfort of her bed. She had just lost the most important thing to her. _Ria…_

Just thinking her name brought tears back to her emerald orbs.

But she did leave every morning. Hikaru had no recollection of Ria, so it was best for both her and her pain that she went and settled on a bench just outside Konoha.

No matter what she did or how long she sat there, it was impossible to put that day behind her. Everything reminded her of that girl. Ria had looked so much like her mom, those forest green eyes that shimmered in the sunlight, that athletic body, that stubborn attitude.

That pink hair.

Sakura wiped the water off her cheeks, and looked up at the black that was spread out above her. The stars were twinkling as if they were tears of the sky, crying for her loss.

"Ria…" Sakura whispered, a fresh bucket of tears falling. "I can't believe you're gone."

"So she left, did she?"

Sakura jumped clear off the bench, landing smack on her butt. "Ow…What the hell do you think you're doing sneaking up on me like that?"

Sasuke just stood there, arms crossed, eyebrow raised at the girl. "Hey, it's not my fault you're jumpy."

Sakura scowled at him, shoving his hand away when he offered it. He shrugged, settling down on the bench, totally relaxed. The pink-haired ninja watched Sasuke intently.

He was totally relaxed, totally carefree. Sakura hated him for that. Why couldn't she be happy like that? Why couldn't anything ever work out for her?

Only then did Sasuke tense, and that was only because he saw her tears. Kneeling down beside her, he wiped at her tears. Sakura jumped again in surprise, but instead of backing away, the broken cherry blossom fell limp in his arms.

Surprised himself, it took Sasuke a moment to react, but soon he was running a comforting touch up and down her back. His shirt was soon soaked completely through with her salty tears, but he didn't care.

He was here again.

He was here with her again.

He was here for her again.

%%%

"Sakura, is that you?"

Cursing under her breath, Sakura shoved the door shut—the same door she had just been trying to sneak through. "Yeah, it's me." _Who the hell else would it be? _She thought.

"How was school?"

Sakura walked into the kitchen with her jaw through the floor. Were they actually having a normal Father-Daughter talk? Like an actual conversation? _Okay,_ Sakura was totally unconvinced. _How drunk is he?_

Even with that repeating in her mind, she shrugged. "Same as always, I guess."

Out of nowhere, a very hot metal spoon slammed into her cheek, making her jump back with a cry of surprised pain. "What the—" She lightly prodded her cheek with her fingers and hissed.

Then her mind caught up.

Hikaru had just taken the metal spoon he'd been stirring something—a boiling something—and thrown it at her, successfully burning her cheek to a quite noticeable tomato color.

"Oh, great…What the hell am I supposed to tell my friends now?"

Hikaru punched her in the gut, sending her right into the table. "Don't you dare talk to me like that, you ungrateful bitch!"

"Ungrateful?" Sakura smirked at the full-blown anger-fueled energy that suddenly filled her. "What am I supposed to be _grateful_ for? Was it you? Or was it how _easy_ you're punishments are? You really think I haven't outgrown all of this yet?"

Hikaru glared, amazed she dared talk to him like that.

"No, I don't think there's a single thing I am grateful for here."

"Why you…" Hikaru had her pinned against the wall in a matter of seconds. "How dare you talk that way to _me_…"

His grip on Sakura's neck tightened a little, successfully making it impossible for her to play Tough-Girl, while his other hand had her arms pinned above her head. He smirked, "Anything to say for yourself?"

It was barely a whisper, but her response was soaked in hate. "I won't apologize."

Hikaru threw her to the ground, where he attempted to dump the boiling water over his daughter, but she scrambled out of the way so that only a few drops hit her. But, boy, did their hardwood hate that water.

Sakura hissed again, refusing to cry in front of him. But she swallowed some of her pride and ran out the front door, leaving a furious father shrieking behind her.

There was no way she'd live through the night if she stayed there. Obviously, someone had told him that she'd been missing school and they wondered if she was at hope. She supposed that was probably what she got for not telling her friends what was really going on.

But she had no choice.

She couldn't put them in that kind of danger.

So instead, she ran towards her favorite hideout, a secret clearing in the park where she and her mother used to lay and watch the stars. It was their spot. No one else knew about it and Sakura was determined to keep it that way.

So she curled up in a patch of spongy grass and sleep overtook her within minutes.

**%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%**

**Athey-Vee: Hey guys! Hope you enjoy it!**

**PS: I'm counting on y'all to figure out what's going to happen! Feel free to send me a message! I want to see if I'm leading you guys astray with all my foreshadowing! (hint, hint, hint!)**

**Luv y'all! R&R please!**


	4. Chapter 4: He's Remembering

**Chapter 4: He's Remembering**

Sasuke lay awake on the roof of his apartment, gazing at the stars. Watching their in-and-out flickering had always made him think clearly. And after meeting Sakura in the park, that was exactly what he needed.

After all, this was Sakura he was talking—thinking—about.

Miss Independent-Female.

But no matter how long he gazed at the dark sky, his mind remained as clouded as ever. And so, after sighing heavily, he hopped off his roof and headed to the park.

He needed their special place. He needed the comfort that that clearing gave him. He needed the comfort she gave him.

Sasuke could still remember the day he had met Hana …

"_WAAAAAAAAAAAAANH! WAAAAAAA—"A small boy was cowering underneath the brush at the edge of the park. He could feel the hot trails his tears were leaving behind. Why were those boys so mean to him? What had he ever done to upset them?_

_Suddenly, the bushes around him moved, and then a pink-haired woman popped her head in. Sasuke nearly jumped out of his skin. "Oh," She smiled, giggling guiltily, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."_

_The small raven-haired boy just blinked at her. After a moment, she disappeared, only to show up crawling under the brush with him. Sasuke backed up as the lady sat up, but then relaxed again at her smile._

_That smile reminded him so much of his mother. He sure did miss her…_

"_What're you doing under here anyway?"_

_Sasuke shook his head, clearing the cobwebs in his mind, before shrugging._

_She gave him a disbelieving look. He looked away, so she tried something else. "What's your name?"_

_Sasuke blinked at her for a long time before answering. "Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha."_

"_Sasuke…" She tried out his name. Then, a splash of recognition shot across her face. "You aren't Midori's son, are you?"_

_Sasuke nodded, curious of how this woman knew his mom. After all, it wasn't like she'd spoken to anyone in almost three months._

_It wasn't like he'd heard her name in the past three months…_

_The woman smiled, happier than ever. "Ah! So you're Itachi's younger brother! He's always talking about you!"_

_Sasuke growled, catching her attention. "I see," she whispered, surprising the boy. "You and your brother aren't very close then."_

_It wasn't a question, but Sasuke nodded anyway. In fact, he couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen either his father or brother. After the divorce, they had all lost touch, not that he or Itachi were ever particularly close._

_His elder brother had always enjoyed the calmer side of things like their father, both perfectly content sitting at home all day long reading or sleeping. Sasuke and his mother were the ones who needed an adventure. The two of them were always doing something, always out and about._

_That was probably why everyone noticed when Midori started remaining within the comfort of her home. Naturally, there were plenty of rumors roaming around amongst the adults, everything ranging from a serious cause of depression over the loss of her marriage to losing her mind after her husband left her for another woman to Midori blaming her son for the breakup so much she made him sleep on the park benches. And although the boy had slept on those benches plenty of times, it wasn't because his mother was angry with him_

_Sasuke slept out there because his mother was sick._

_Midori's doctor had ordered Sasuke to spend those last weeks with a friend, but the boy had had no friends at the time, but he didn't want to risk bringing another bug into the house that could make his mother's condition worse, so he hung out in the park at night._

_In the end, however, he wasn't able to do anything for his mother, except watch her from afar. And even with him leaving food on the porch every morning and waving, unnoticed, from her from the window, he still wasn't able to do anything to help her._

_He wasn't able to save her._

"_Sasuke?"_

_The raven-haired boy jumped, almost bumping his head on one of the branches. He smiled, "I'm okay."_

_The woman smiled. "You know," she said. "I have a daughter about your age. I'm sure the two of you would be great friends, if you want."_

_Sasuke nodded._

_Abruptly, the woman crawled her way back out of the bushes, followed closely behind by Sasuke. Once they were standing outside, he asked, "What's your name?"_

_The lady smiled. "I am Hana."_

_Hana gazed up at the twilight sky for a moment and then, smiling, took Sasuke's hand. The small boy watched her with intent curiosity, but let the woman lead him away._

_She'd known his mom after all. How bad could she be?_

_The two of them walked in silence for a few moments, stopping just in front of an ivy-covered rock. Utterly confused, Sasuke glanced up at Hana. She smiled down at him, let go of his hand, and then slipped through the ivy and disappeared. Taking a quick look around, he noticed a bunch of fallen tree limbs and random trails of flattened grass between them and the ivy._

_Obviously this place was a secret, so Sasuke quickly made a vow never to tell a soul about this…ever. Then he too slid through the ivy and into a passage._

_It took the boy almost an entire minute to adjust to his suddenly-shaded surroundings, as well as the slight chill that passage had to it. Fortunately, it wasn't a long passage. In fact not ten yards away from the entrance was a patch of golden light and a meadow beyond. Slowly pacing, he walked out into the clearing and froze._

_The sight in front of him…he swore he'd died and gone to "That-Happy-Place". The meadow-like clearing was enveloped in a golden sunset, making it shimmer as a gentle breeze blew across it. It was a fairly large area, with a barrier of rock all the way around. Sasuke was sure it would look like a solid rock from the outside, to anyone who didn't know about the ivy-covered entrance._

"_This is my special place, Sasuke," Hana sing-songed from a few yards away, sitting contently in the gold grass. "And now, it is yours as well."_

_Sasuke moved to settle down next to her but stopped at the creature in the grass. The small boy raised his foot to stomp it down, but Hana's voice cried out, "No!" and then, her hand rescued the startled thing from the ground._

_Sasuke almost died of shock when he saw how she seemed to care for it. For a moment, he actually thought it was her pet, but then thought better of it and sat down next to her and that…thing._

_Hana was gently running a finger down the reptile's back, like it wasn't scary at all. She giggled when she spotted his expression of disgust. "Oh, Sasuke, there's no reason to look at me like that! It's just your average lizard!"_

Sasuke smiled slightly at the memory, pausing slightly outside the ivy, to push the branches out of the way. Hana had given him a quiet place to clear out his head that night, and he would always be in debt to her for that.

After the branches were moved, he slipped through the ivy and wandered into the clearing. It was still the same as that day, only now it was covered in a silver sheet, with little gold dots that blinked in and out of view. He smiled again at those lightening bugs, remembering how he hadn't enjoyed those either as a child.

Glancing around, he took at deep breath of the cool night air. That's when he noticed something: a lump in the grass. With a knife at the ready, he cautiously approached the shape.

By a couple yards away, he could tell it was a person. As he circled around to see the face he was planning how to get said person out of here quietly and preferably painfully.

But he suddenly froze.

In that moment, it felt like the world fell on him, swashing him like the creepy-crawlies he hated as a child. He couldn't contain his surprise.

"Sakura?"


	5. Chapter 5: She's Discovered

**Chapter 5: She's Discovered**

Sakura lay there, her skin slimy with dead skin. It felt like she was covered in one big, peeling sunburn, as if she were a snake preparing to shed its skin, even though the water had only touched her in a couple places. But even with that said, she felt totally _burned_.

And that wasn't just the physical sense, either.

That assault just a couple hours ago was worse than anything she'd experienced in a long time…

"_SAKURA!"_

_A shudder ripped through the small girl's body. Even at the age of nine, she still knew that shriek couldn't be good. At least, not good for her, anyway._

_Quickly, she shoved all her dolls back into their box and hid it under her bed. Then, as if all her energy were gone, she picked herself up off the floor and sauntered towards her bedroom door. _

_Just as she reached for the knob, it burst opened, knocking her clear across the room. With a yelp of pain, she struggled to stand up again, but didn't have time. Her father's rough hand gripped her tiny arm and drug her from the room. He threw her down the hallway, never actually knocking her over, but he kept advancing on her to keep her backing up. _

"_Sakura…" His voice was soaked in poison that made the nine-year-old tear up in fear. She didn't like the way he spoke her name when he was in one of his moods. "Do you know what just happened to me?"_

_Flinching slightly as she backed into the railing, she shook her head._

_Hikaru slapped her. "Bullshit! You know exactly what happened!"_

"_Tell me," Sakura whispered._

"_I GOT FIRED, YOU BITCH!" Her father hit her again, this time with a fist. She clung to the rail for support as the force sent her flying in front of the stairs. "IT'S YOU'RE FAULT!"_

_Sakura coughed lightly, but Hikaru kicked her square in the gut, sending the small child tumbling down the stairs. She didn't feel the pain until her father was halfway down the stairs and she was sprawled at the bottom. _

_In that moment, she didn't care that her father was coming after her again. She didn't care that he could kill her or that he would, given the chance. All she cared about was her father's job._

_Her father had just lost his job of eleven years, his _favorite_ job. _

_Sakura couldn't just think about herself; her dad was suffering now too. And, sure, even at age nine, she knew him beating up on her wasn't how this was supposed to work, but it was how it worked for them. That's all there was to it._

_Suddenly, she felt a hand on her and her emerald eyes shot open. Above her was a man who looked like her father, but couldn't be her father. His dark eyes were laced with worry, his voice so familiar, yet so wrong. _

"Sakura?"

Sakura, now blinking back into reality, felt water roll off her skin and into to meadow's silk blanket underneath her. Turning so she lay on her back, she could see a shadow above her, but couldn't make out a face.

Abruptly, the emerald-eyed ninja felt the urge to protect this area. She wanted to throw a blanket over it and pretend it never existed. She wished there was such a blanket, a sheet large enough to cover her secret place. She wanted to protect it.

She _had_ to protect it.

"Sakura?"

Blinking again, Sakura was finally able to focus in on who the intruder was.

Her jaw dropped through Hades. _"Sasuke?"_

His eyes changed, but the shocked girl couldn't tell if they hardened or softened. "Sakura…" He stepped forward, but she leapt back a whole yard.

"What're you doing here?"

%%%

Sasuke stood completely frozen at the girl's sudden movement. He suddenly wanted to pick the two of them up, and put them somewhere else, _anywhere else_. Just not here. Hana wanted this place to be secret. He wanted to keep that promise with all his heart, more than he'd ever wanted anything, but he could feel it slipping from his grasp.

She was going to figure out where they were.

And, just like that, Hana's secret would be gone.

Along with his special place.

Sakura began blinking again, refocusing on the world around her. Her bright emerald orbs were peering right through him, as though watching something behind him. He almost turned to look, but then she spoke, her voice iced with fearful shock.

"_Sasuke?"_

The raven-haired boy softened his gaze on her, surprisingly glad she finally placed him, even if her mouth was opened enough for a bat to fly in. "Sakura…" He tried again, a sigh of relief tickling his lungs.

She was okay; after finding her like that, he was afraid someone had hurt her.

Then he shook his head. _No!_ He shouted at himself. _I'm not worried about her! I have to get her out of here! That's the only reason I'm glad she's okay! I don't want to carry her! That's why! I don't want to carry her!_

Sakura's next question ripped through him. "What're you doing here?"

Now it was Sasuke's turn to invite oversized bugs into his mouth. What the hell did she mean by that? She was the one who had just waltzed right on into Hana's secret like it was hers.

Anger boiled under his skin. "You know, I could ask _you_ the same thing."

Sasuke could see her anger bubble too. He couldn't wait to see what excuse she came up with. This was going to be fun.

"Oh really, 'cause you're the one who has no right to be here. How do you even know about this clearing? How long have you known? You know what? Honestly, I don't care. Just don't come here again, okay? Actually, scratch the 'okay'. Don't come here_ ever._"

Sasuke was almost surprised by the poison in her voice, but then he remembered he had his own rant to complete.

"No, you're the one who isn't supposed to be here. This was Hana's secret place and yet you have the audacity to just wander on in here like you own it. Well, you don't. And since she's not around to protect it anymore, I will—okay, will you stop staring at me like that?"

Sakura was staring at him like he was suddenly a ghost, a naked, dancing ghost. Which was completely ironic, considering she was as white as a sheet herself.

"What?" Sasuke snapped, his patience wearing thin.

Sakura continued to stare at him for a few more very long, very tense moments, before her whisper reached him. "W-What did you say?"

Sasuke stared at her in disbelief. "You seriously want me to repeat all that? Hell—"

"No…" She seemed so fragile in that moment, the coal-eyed boy was afraid even breathing on her would shatter her. "The name. What was the name?"

"You mean, Hana?"

Sakura's emerald-orbs went wide and she stopped breathing. Sasuke stepped forward but didn't reach out like he'd planned. Something in her gaze stopped him. She was piecing together pieces of a puzzle he wasn't a part of. He wasn't supposed to be a part of it. If he was, she'd be doing it out loud.

Sasuke was just about to turn around and leave when the girl in front of him abruptly broke from her trance and caught his arm. Her eyes glittered with a silent plead for the truth, although he had no idea what she wanted to know. That exchange, even if it made him realize she was going to talk, it didn't, couldn't, prepare him for what came next. Her voice was barely a whisper, a bird's cry for help:

"How do you know my mother?"

**%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%**

**Athey-Vee: Okay, so I am really sorry to have made you guys wait so long for this. I got busted having my laptop out past midnight, and my mom took it away. I just got it back today, so I've been writing—well, copying/editing/rewriting (I wrote it in a Note on my phone)—all day long. **

**Hope y'all enjoyed it! And hope y'all stick around! Sasuke's gonna get suspicious! (Whoo-whoo!)**

**R&R please! I really appreciate the comments!**


	6. Chapter 6: He's Curious

**Chapter 6: He's Curious**

Sasuke remained frozen, his dark eyes searing into her emerald orbs. "W-What?"

In any other moment, the dark-eyed boy would have punched himself for stuttering and sounding like a complete idiot, but under the circumstances, he ignored the break in his voice.

He was more interested in what Sakura had said.

Sakura was staring at him with sparkling emeralds, wide with fear and confusion. He could only imagine how scared she was. After all, the girl had made it quite clear she had absolutely no memory of their childhood. But even with that floating around, something was pricking the back of his brain.

"How. Do. You. Know. My. Mother?"

She was breathing deeply, slowly, trying to keep herself calm, waiting for his answer. But Sasuke knew he wasn't going to give her the answer she wanted. No one could give her that.

He drew his own breath. "Hana was your mom."

It wasn't a question, she knew that. But Sakura could stop herself from answering as though it was one. "Yes."

His dark eyes seared into her own, darker shade of green. She bet her eyes looked a lot like her mother's forest green orbs now. Noticing, Sasuke's eyes widened momentarily, before slipping back to normal.

Sasuke couldn't fathom what was going through her mind. What could he say? What could he do? How would she respond? And what was that on her arm—

Sasuke froze. _Just _what_ was on her arm?_

In the next moment, Sasuke was invading Sakura personal space immensely, but he didn't care. In that moment he saw the patch of dead skin on her arm, a wave of possession flooded over him, and he moved on instinct.

It took Sakura several seconds to process his movement, her mind still trying to swallow the connection between the Uchiha and her mom. By the time it registered, Sasuke had already had a good, long look at her eyes.

The same traitorous eyes that had gotten her into trouble before.

The startled cherry blossom lifted her hand to smack him, but he snatched her wrist right out of the air. Pulling it down so he could examine it, she yanked her arm back, only succeeding in pulling him down on top of her.

Sasuke clasped his arms around her and turned them so he took the fall. He didn't even realize he had done it until he heard her whimper and snuggle subconsciously closer to him. He tightened his arms around her.

By that point, Sakura knew what she was doing. If she could distract him by her being that close, she might be able to trick him into forgetting what he'd seen on her arm. It wasn't like she hadn't noticed what he'd been searching for in her eyes. It wasn't like she didn't know what answer he was after.

It wasn't like she missed how he clasped her wrist, just barely—but purposely—dodging her wound.

Too bad he was one step ahead of her.

Sasuke silently examined her body, running his eyes over her body, trying to keep his head as still as possible. Even the slightest of movements would tip her off and he'd lose his chance. Granted, he couldn't see much but her sweet-smelling pink hair.

Suddenly something wet dropped on his cheek.

Looking up, he realized it had started to rain, casting a dark shadow over them. Sakura must have felt a drop too because she sat up, pulling from his embrace. Sitting up beside her, the coal-eyed ninja watched her with an intense interest; she gazed endlessly into the clouded sky above, letting the light rain wash over her face to hide her tears.

_Mom…_The cherry blossom silently cried. _Why didn't you tell me? Why?_

"Sakura?"

The girl just shook her head, and then shared a glittering glance with her mother's _other_ child before standing. After smoothing her battle dress back down, Sakura offered a hand to Sasuke, who was still watching her intently from the ground.

He blinked up at her. "C'mon. We should get out of the rain."

Sasuke stared at her in utter surprise, curiosity, and a bit of confusion. What had caused her sudden change in attitude?

Not that he was complaining. It just seemed suspicious.

But the dark-haired ninja swallowed his observation and took her offer. Seemingly effortless, she lifted him to his feet and sent him a bright smile. Then she squeezed his hand before dropping it and turning towards the exit. Noticing he wasn't following her for the couple yards she had already covered, she rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're going to turn into a raisin if you stay out here any longer."

Sasuke examined his now-empty hand, already seeing wrinkles forming, so he shrugged and followed.

%%%

Walking with this practical stranger now, Sakura had no idea why she suddenly put on a happy face like that. She barely even knew this kid, and even if she did, it wasn't like she'd had a half-decent conversation with any of her friends in ages.

She doubted they even still considered them friends.

Sakura could still feel the gentle rain dripping down around them, but that was the least of her worries. As soon as she figured out where the hell she was going to detach from Mr. I-Knew-Your-Mother, she had to find a dry shelter for the night.

There was only one thing she knew for certain.

There was no way she was going home.

"Sakura?"

A very wet and confused cherry blossom shook her head clear of cobwebs and turned to Sasuke with her fake smile on. "Yeah?"

"Where are we going?"

Sakura froze. _Damn. Where the he—_Suddenly, an idea popped in her head. She let herself fall into a fit of: "Oh no! I have no idea where I'm going! I don't know where you live! Dammit!"

Sasuke sweat-dropped. _What the hell is she going off about?_

"Sasuke?" He looked at her expectantly. "Which way is your house?"

Slowly the information seeped into his brain. "Why?"

"I was going to drop you off."

The dark-eyed ninja raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was the other way around. Boy drops off the girl."

Sakura waved it away. "Yeah, well, I'm not going home."

Sasuke froze. What did she mean she wasn't going home? Where did she think she was going to go in this weather?

He gave her a challenging look.

"What?" She put her hands up in front of her in surrender. "My dad's in one of his moods and I honestly don't want to deal with him anymore tonight. All I had to do was walk in the front door and he was already harping on me. I have no energy to fight him off tonight—"

If the cherry blossom hadn't trailed off, Sasuke wouldn't have had a second thought about what she said.

But she had, and he did.

Instead of dealing with it right now though, he stepped close to her. Sakura remained stuck in place, watching him intently, waiting for an excuse to knock him out.

But he never gave her one. He just said: "Come home with me."

**%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%**

**Enter Athey-Vee! **

**Okay, sorry-as always -_-U-for the late update. I've been working on multiple chapters and trying to get it so that I can post the rest of the story in one night. (Good luck to me...)**

**Oh, and I messaged some of you the ages of the characters; well, note that those are just estimates. I have no idea how old these stupid characters are-**

**(In the Background...**

**Naruto: Hey! We're not stupid!**

**Sasuke: Dobe.**

**Sakura: Guys! Athey's trying to talk! Shut up!**

**Naruto: But Sakura! Sas-OW!**

**Sakura: *smirking while flipping pan just used to hit Naruto's head in her hand***

**...End of Exchange)**

**I REPEAT: THOSE CHARACTER AGES MAY CHANGE! (They won't change by much, and the only ones I'm really worried about are Ria's and Sakura's, and Sasuke will always be one year older than Sakura-which will turn out to be about 11 months older, but whatever. Either way, w****hen I figure them out 110%, I'll post them at the end of every chapter!)**

**Thanks for the patience and feedback! Luv you guys!**


	7. Chapter 7: She's Piecing It Together

**Chapter 7: She's Piecing It Together**

At first, Sakura wanted to hit him, to send him flying for even thinking that. But then as she thought about it, she realized it wasn't a horrible idea. After all, it was better than her original thought of going back to the park for the dreary, wet night. It wasn't like she couldn't take him if he tried anything stupid anyway.

And it got her away from her bloodthirsty father for the night.

Sakura shrugged, "Okay, but one condition."

The boy waited patiently for her to finish. "No questions about my family. None. Zip. Zero. Clear?"

Sasuke didn't really see how she had the right to make demands like that, but he really had had absolutely no intention to pursue on her personal life. At least, not when they could talk it out.

"Crystal," he said. Then he turned and led the way to his apartment.

%%%

Sakura stood in the doorway, unsure what to think. The apartment definitely wasn't like she'd expected: dead food everywhere, discarded clothes laying around, no cleaning attempt made in over two months, probably more.

No, the Uchiha's home was quite the opposite. Not only was it quite a good size, it was spotless. If the emerald-eyed girl didn't know any better—which she didn't really—she'd think he'd never even lived in it.

Sasuke must have sensed her shock, because he said, "Hey, before you go bugging me about this place, no, I did not steal it from some rich guy."

Before the cherry blossom opened her mouth to deny it, she saw a picture on the table across from her that caught her eye. She walked towards it and took a good look. She instantly knew the smallest child was Sasuke; he had the same warmth to his coal-eyes. The only woman in the photo had the same warmth. Sakura could only guess that was his mom.

She was pretty, beautiful even. Her black hair fell long about her back, surely silky to the touch. Her skin was pale but still had an ageless glow. It made her look even more beautiful, somehow.

Examining the other two figures in the picture, Sakura noticed both of the men had the same hair style as Sasuke. The older man had to be his father, both of the other boys looked like him, minus the eyes. He was definitely a proud man, holding himself high no matter what hit him.

Sakura admired him for that.

She examined the older son last. He looked exactly like his father: stature, eyes, same impenetrable skin. The only difference between him and his father were the two scars that lay across each of his cheeks. Taking a closer look, the scars almost looked like birthmarks, but either way, Sakura memorized the photo into her mind, wanting to keep it forever.

"They seem happy, don't they?"

Sakura jumped upon hearing his voice, nearly dropping the frame. Her emerald orbs turned towards him, hoping to meet the eyes that were gazing emotionlessly at the photo. She searched his face for any sign of opening, someplace where she could reach into his life and comfort him. "It's you, isn't it?"

Sasuke's reply was simple. "Was."

Sakura's breath hitched in her throat, her eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't find her voice, couldn't make herself move, breathe. So she just gazed at him with his hurt reflected in her orbs.

Growing irritated with her gaze, he turned to snap on her, but her eyes stopped him. How he had missed those beautiful gems. In that moment of impulse, Sasuke wrapped his arms tight around the cherry blossom, tears stinging the backs of his eyes for the first time in many years.

He buried his face in her neck, breathing in her strawberry scent. Sakura, herself, was extremely confused, but her sorrow enveloped her the moment he locked himself around her.

She relaxed completely into his embrace, melting into his muscular chest, clutching his shirt in tight balls between her fists. Warm tears streamed down her cheeks and her muscles ached, screaming her to get a grip.

But she couldn't.

Something about Sasuke Uchiha was so familiar, normal even. She felt so safe with him. Like her father could never touch her there; none of her friends could abandon her. The embrace he was using to comfort himself was flipping her world upside down…

The embrace he was using to comfort himself?

Where the heck did that come from?

Subconsciously, Sakura pieced together an ancient memory:

_A chilling wind rushed through the park, rustling the multi-colored leaves in the autumn trees. The small girl ran around in the big open field, soaking up the sunshine. She never was one to play with the other children; she was much more content with racing against the wind with her arms out wide, pretending she was flying with the blue bird._

"_Sakura!"_

_The pink-haired girl paused in her flight, and skipped over to her mother and her sister. She tripped a few yards away from her destination, and went tumbling through the grass, only to stop when she finally bumped into something. _

_Blinking, Sakura looked up to see a small boy, gazing at her with intense curiosity. He had spiky black hair and intense black eyes. Sakura cocked her head at him and then burst out laughing in an embarrassed fit._

_Picking herself up, Sakura bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ram into you."_

_The boy only blinked at her. _

_Extending a hand, the little girl said, "I'm Sakura."_

_The dark-haired boy blinked at her, ignoring her offer for a handshake, and then turned towards her mother. "Is this your daughter?" he asked, pointing right at Sakura's face. _

_Sakura's mom nodded. _

_Turning back to Sakura, he shook her still outstretched hand. "Sasuke."_

Sakura's eyes burst open, and she sprang up only to bump heads with something. "Sasuke!"

"Ow! That hurt!"

The emerald-eyed girl froze. Slowly, she turned to see the owner of the voice. Her sight was still fuzzy from the memory, and her head was throbbing from sudden sit up.

At first, all she saw was patches of black, but then slowly other features came into view: a nose, a mouth, the most beautiful pair of eyes she'd ever seen, a handsome face, and then his crotched position. It was then she noticed one hand holding his forehead, like she was hers, and the other touching her leg. "Sakura, you alright?"

His name felt like a breeze off an ocean. "Sasuke."

"That's my name. Now what's yours?"

The pink-haired girl's mind didn't hear anything he said. It was whirling around his name. "Sasuke."

"No. That's me. Do you know you're name?"

Again, his words went right over Sakura's head. "That day," she breathed. "That day in the park…you were that boy…I bowled right into you…that day…"—She stared him right in the eye.—"…that day we met."

**%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%**

**Athey-Vee: Hoping you enjoyed it! Ino want to tell everybody the news?**

**Ino: Hell yeah! From now on, characters are going to reappear!**

**Hinata: If you don't remember you we are, you can always look back.**

**Ino: Geez, Hinata! You make it sound like they're taking a test! *mocking teachers* "You can always look back at the story while answering the questions."**

**Hinata: Oh...gomen...**

**Sakura: INO! YOU MADE HINATA SELF-CONSCIOUS AGAIN! *punch***

**Ino: BITCH! *kick***

***fight begins***

**Athey-Vee: INO! SAKURA! KNOCK IT OFF! *to myself* You want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. *sigh* Okay, as Hinata and Ino were tyring to say: Some of the characters in previous chapters are coming back starting in the next chapter. If you don't remember how Sakura's friends acted or why Ria refused the oxygen mask...well let's just say...**

**DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT!**

**Sayonara!**


	8. Chapter 8: He's Got a Visitor

**Chapter 8: He's Got a Visitor**

Sasuke stared at her.

That whole time she was unconscious she was remembering the day that changed his life.

"_Sasuke!"_

_An onyx-eyed boy, barely the age of seven, whirled around at the familiar voice. Sure enough, several yards down the field, was Hana, waving at him, a bright smile spread across her face._

_The young boy smiled and jogged his way over to her. As he neared he realized she was holding a bundle in her arms, which he assumed was her daughter. _I thought she said her daughter was my age, _the boy thought, but then shrugged. _Oh well.

_Being the youngest of his family, Sasuke had never seen a baby, and he was pretty excited to meet Hana's kid. _

_He paused about two yards away. _

_There was a girl, running through the field, arms wide like a bird's, laughing. But that wasn't what had made him stop. _

_It was her hair. _

_It was pink._

_Just like Hana's._

_Then it clicked. _That must been the girl Hana told me about…_Sasuke blinked at her. She was just playing, prancing around the grass like she hadn't a care in the world. Somehow, just playing sounded nice to him. He hadn't been able to "just play" in so long, what with his mother's death and the funeral. There had been big talk at the service of what was to happen with her remaining son. Naturally, people assumed it would be her husband who would take him, despite the divorce. _

_But Sasuke knew that wasn't going to happen. Neither his father nor brother had come for Mikoto's funeral, which had sparked his sorrow into white-hot anger. Even if his father wanted him, there was no way he was going to let him. There was no way Sasuke would live with that traitor._

_No one knew what the onyx-eyed boy had done for his mother while she was so sick. No one understood that Sasuke had taken of himself and his mother, _all by himself._ For all those weeks, months, however long it was, Sasuke was there watching, protecting Mikoto from afar. He was always there. _

_And he didn't need some traitorous father-turned-babysitter._

_Something suddenly bumped into him, with such speed the boy had a hard time staying upright. Slightly angered to have been run into, Sasuke glared down at the heap on his feet. _

_His face shifted to a surprised expression as he realized just what was at his feet. _

_It was the pink-haired girl. _

_She blinked up at him, and then smiled innocently. It was almost like that smile melted everything away, his anger for his father and Itachi, his sorrow for his mother's death, even the happiness he felt for meeting Hana._

_All he knew was the beating of his heart and her sparkling emerald orbs. _

"Sasuke!"

The coal-eyed ninja shook his head clear of memory cobwebs. Blinking his eyes, reality slowly set back in.

_That's right,_ he thought. _Sakura's spending the night._

He had to fight back the smile that was pulling at his lips. "What's wrong?"

"Where are the blankets?"

He shook his head. "Oh no, you don't. You're sleeping on the bed."

A blush scalded her cheeks. "W-What?"

"You're in the bed. I'm on the couch."

%%%

"Sasuke!"

Finally, this time, he responded. He shook his head and blinked, furiously trying to break out of the dream realm. She couldn't help wondering what he was thinking about. She wondered if it was a memory of theirs, or…something else.

Like his family.

It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out something was off about his family relations, but somehow she knew it was only emotional stress.

Somehow she knew it didn't stretch as far as physical.

Sakura didn't know why that made her happy. Sure, she felt bad for the guy, but she was strangely relieved to know he wasn't hurt. She was strangely relieved he didn't know that kind of pain; that he wasn't like her.

He probably couldn't even imagine something like her situation.

And she was glad about that.

His coal eyes met her emeralds. "What's wrong?"

Sakura shook her head, but she didn't think he saw it. He was still resurfacing. "Where are the blankets?"

Then he shook his head. The cherry blossom blinked in surprise. What the—"Oh no, you don't. You're sleeping on the bed."

Instantly, her cheeks turned red-hot. She knew she was supposed to be angry with him for even suggesting such a thing, but her embarrassment overruled it. "W-What?"

She swore she saw him smirk. "You're in the bed. I'm on the couch."

Her cheeks swelled with embarrassment. _Sakura!_ Her mind snapped. _How could you have even thought a thing? Sounds like you're a pervert!_

"Sakura?"

She shook her head, and then forced a smile. "Sorry. Just tired."

This time, she saw the smirk. "C'mon then," he said, taking her elbow and leading her down a hall. "I'll show you where."

The emerald-eyed girl wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. All she could think about was the hand on her arm. It was warm and firm, but it wasn't painful. It wasn't intended to hurt her or drag her. It was guiding her. It wasn't tight, but it was hard enough so that she didn't have to look to know it was there.

Sakura liked that.

She didn't know why, but she did.

The fact that she could feel Sasuke near her, touching her, _holding _her…it sent the butterflies of fear fluttering away. Those butterflies were replaced with a wonderfully irritating flutter of her heart beat.

The surprised girl could feel her heart pounding.

She could hear it echoing in her ears.

She could see the pulsing colors.

Suddenly, the floor dropped away, his grip ripped away, and she fell into pitch black.

%%%

Sasuke felt her pulse race in her elbow. It was surprisingly thrilling. He couldn't help but feel excited for making her jumpy like that.

But then she collapsed.

Her sudden weight crumbled against him, knocking him clear into the wall. He wasn't prepared to catch her. He became suddenly aware of just how much muscle made up that girl. _This girl is a rock!_ His mind choked out. _There's no way she's this skinny and still so heavy! _

By now, Sasuke was a bit accustomed to her suddenly dropping away from reality. In fact, he'd done a bit of that himself. Ever since he met her.

Well, re-met her.

It was strange to think that it had been so long, over a decade ago, that the two of them had met. It was so simple back then. They were merely two kids who met in the park, played a day, and then met the next day, and the next. Then they were the best of friends, playing together every day in the park: rolling around in the dirt, chasing each other about, picking out shapes in the clouds, watching the sun set. It was simple.

And then reality crashed headfirst into the children's fantasy.

Hana was murdered by the very man Sasuke had dedicated his life trying to find. He was gone when Sakura was mysteriously tossed into a coma, and only later found out she supposedly had no memory of him. That was hard to take, but not as hard as hearing her baby sister had also disappeared. The coal-eyed boy couldn't say he'd ever caught the name of the child that was always held in Hana's arms those days in the park, but she looked like Sakura.

That's what probably scared him the most upon hearing the news. Instantly when he heard the toddler was gone, his subconscious had flashed thousands of pictures of Sakura in front of his eyes. For those first few moments he feared the two had been mixed up and the cherry blossom was the one missing. But then he thought of how his friend would feel if her sister really was gone. Sasuke could still remember how close the two of them were, always hugging on each other, laughing together, both so similar to the other. The coal-eyed boy's spirits had always lifted at the sight of the two of them together.

Hearing that one had vanished broke his heart.

Sasuke shook his head as he gathered the unconscious cherry blossom in his arms. As he weaved his way towards a back room, he smiled slightly at the old nickname of hers. Hana had always called her "Cherry Bloom", so Sasuke had often called her "Cher" for short. Thinking back, it was probably more that he couldn't seem to pronounce "Cherry" correctly.

As the coal-eyed boy reached his destination, he kicked open the door and pushed it shut with his foot. He crossed to the black-covered bed and set the girl down, slipping her legs under the covers and tucking her in.

"Warm…"

Sasuke smirked at her mumble as she curled herself into a ball under the covers, settling into a deeper sleep. He was almost grateful she had drifted into sleep. He could tell the girl was exhausted.

Still, the dark-haired boy resolved to remain a bit longer, so he circled to the other side of the bed and settled next to her, resting against the headboard. He rested his head against the wall, closing his eyes and listening to her breathing. He was completely at ease here, next to his long-lost best friend. Even if she didn't remember him, he remembered her, and the promises he made to her.

"Ria…"

Sasuke shot to attention. _That name…_his mind raced. _That's the girl she was called for earlier._ He felt movement on the bed and gazed down at her in surprise. Sakura had always been a sound sleeper so seeing her lazily thrash around was unnerving. He reached down to touch her cheek, but she shrunk away from his hand the instant it brushed her. She had managed to push herself to the edge of the bed, and was about to fall.

Sasuke reached out, snatching her wrist and pulling her back to him. Sakura let out a high-pitched yip. He froze, his grasp still around her arm. She was struggling against him. "No!"

Sasuke gasped in surprise at her outburst.

"No! Let go!" Sakura pulled against him harder, but his grip was rock solid. "Daddy, don't!"

Something inside of Sasuke Uchiha snapped and he released her, sending her flying back to the edge of the bed. His dark eyes were rippling with red now, the slivers of his Sharingan picking up on her miniscule movements. Sakura, now huddled in a tight ball at the edge of the bed, was shaking.

No. Not just shaking.

She was shaking and crying.

That's when Sasuke understood: she was petrified. Grasping a hold of her like that had caused a memory to surface in her sleep. And whatever that dream was, it scared her to the state of a three-year-old during a lightning storm.

Whatever that dream-induced memory was, it was about her dad.

Staring at the shivering girl, the Uchiha's brain started connecting dots. What if…what if her dad had grabbed her like that? What if he'd pushed her around? What if he…what if he…

Sasuke couldn't even finish the thought. _No, she wouldn't put up with that._

"_Try again, Sasuke Uchiha…"_

Sasuke whirled around at the voice, but no one was there. He shook his head and resolved the only thing he could do for the scared-out-of-her-mind girl next to him. He gently reached over and pulled her against his chest as he lay down next to her. Her cold tears dripped onto his shirt as she grabbed a hold of it, clutching it in fists. He held her tightly to him, remaining conscious of her reactions to his presence.

So far, so good.

"_Protect her, Sasuke Uchiha…"_

This time when Sasuke looked, there was a girl standing in front of him, positioned behind Sakura. She looked almost transparent in the moonlight that cast a white light over her figure. The only pure color he could make out were her rich green eyes.

Sasuke subconsciously tightened his grip on the frail girl next to him, but loosened a bit when she tensed. The cherry blossom settled back into a comfortable sleep, while Sasuke was fighting down every possessive instinct he had in his body. Even so, he would not restrain the venom in his voice when he asked, "Who are you?"

The girl smiled. _"I am Sakura Haruno's daughter, Ria Haruno."_

**%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%**

**Athey-Vee: DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUNNN! I so told you that you would need to remember the details! Just because characters die doesn't mean they're gone.**

**Naruto: But I thought that means they were dead.**

**Athey-Vee: They are dead. **

**Naruto: Than how are they still around?**

**Sasuke: Ghosts, dobe.**

**Sakura: *sneaks up on Naruto* Whoooooooooooo...**

**Naruto: WHHHAAAAAAA!**

**Sakura/Athey-Vee: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!**

**Naruto: THAT WAS NOT FUNNY!**

**Athey-Vee: Sorry, Naruto. That was kinda funny.**

**Naruto: *mutter* Ugly meanies...**

**Sakura: WHAT WAS THAT?**

**Naruto: Uh, pretty girlies?**

**Sakura: Uh-huh. That's what I thought you said. *sigh* Geez, Athey, can't you add some scenes where I can actually smack Naruto around?**

**Naruto: Hey!**

**Sakura: *glare***

**Naruto: *hides behind Sasuke***

**Sasuke: *glare***

**Athey-Vee: *smirks at the boys* Well, I'm planning on some sparring later on, so brush up. Once we get you back to school, there'll be some more Naruto-stupidity moments. ^-^**

**Naruto: Hey!**

**Sasuke: *punch* Shut up.**

**Naruto: What the hell was that for? That really hurt, y'know!**

**Sakura: *whispers to Athey* Good.**

**Athey-Vee: *muffled giggles***

**Naruto: What did you say?**

**Sasuke: *punch* Shut up, dobe.**

**Naruto: STOP BEATING UP ON ME!**

**Sasuke: *punch* I thought I told you to shut up.**

**Naruto: THEN SAY THAT WITHOUT PUNCHING ME!**

**Sakura: If you're not going to act like a man, at least talk like one.**

**Naruto: I AM A MAN!**

**Sakura: You sure?**

**Naruto: I'M A MAN, I SAY!**

**Athey-Vee: Uh, Naruto, maybe you should-**

**Sasuke: *punch***

**Athey-Vee: *sigh* -rethink that answer...**

**Sakura: Such a simpleton.**

**Naruto: Hey, that hurt!**

**Sasuke: *raises arm to punch Naruto again***

**Athey-Vee: *stops Sasuke's arm* Hey, let's not kill my character! I need him!**

**Naruto: *starry eyes* Oh Athey!**

**Athey-Vee: For the scene! Geez...Will you guys just chill out? There's another chapter of Sasuke and Sakura-**

**Naruto: Laying in the bed. Ma-a-a-king ba-a-bies! **

**Sasuke/Sakura: *punch-sends Naruto flying***

**Athey-Vee: Guys! You lost Naruto! *mumble* Though he kind of deserved it...**

**Sasuke: Moron.**

**Athey-Vee: Ack!**

**Sakura: What's wrong?**

**Athey-Vee: *holding skirt down* Someone just peaked under my clothes!**

**Sasuke: *pointing at rock behind Athey* Dobe.**

**Sakura: NAAAAAAA-RUUUUUUUUUU-TOOOOOOOOOOO! DID YOU JUST DO WHAT I THINK YOU JUST DID!**

**Athey-Vee: Okay, while Sakura brutally mauls Naruto, I want to thank you guys for reading. R&R! *peeks back* SAKURA! HE NEEDS AIR TO BREATHE!**


	9. Chapter 9: She's on a Mission

**Chapter 9: She's on a Mission**

Sasuke sat frozen on his side of the bed, staring at the translucent girl. He supposed this was what looking at a ghost was like, but he couldn't say that was what he was most concerned about.

Daughter? Sakura had a daughter?

His mind whirled with scenarios in which such a thing could've happen, but none were as sickening as the most prominent one: revolving around her latest reaction to his touch.

"_Slow down there, cowboy. It's not what you think."_

Sasuke was about to retort when he realized—"How'd you—?"

The little Sakura pointed to herself. "Ghost."

It was then that everything started to fall into place. Sakura being pulled from class, disappearing for several hours, breaking down in his lap, the meadow…It finally made sense.

Sakura's daughter had been leaving this world, not merely leaving the town. Perhaps that had added to her attitude during class.

Sasuke's eyes found the girl beside him, who had loosened her ball to a fatal position, not that he preferred either. Looking at her then, only the moonlight streaming over her, she resembled his guest so much, he had to stroke her cheek to make sure she was indeed there.

"_Don't worry, Sasuke. She's not going anywhere. Not now that she has you."_

Ria waded her way around the bed to her sister's side, reaching out to brush stray hair back. The girl shivered at her chilled skin. Ria's face contorted into a melancholy smile, whispering _"I told you, didn't I?"_

"What?"

Resurfacing, Ria threw a smirk at the onyx-eyed man. _"I have a job for you, Sasuke Uchiha."_

"And what if I refuse?"

"_You won't."_

_Cocky, aren't you?_ Sasuke refrained from speaking aloud, but how he wished he could spit that into the girl's face. Hell, he wasn't even sure this…_creature_ was a girl. She claimed to be the ghost of Sakura Haruno's deceased daughter. If all that was true, why could _he_ see the kid. He could feel the chill in the room from her, and apparently so could Sakura, but she didn't seem to hear her and Sasuke was positive she wouldn't be able to hear her visitor.

"_I wanted to see her, but my business is with you. And you won't refuse, because for as long as you've known you, piecing her together has been your favorite activity."_

Suddenly, Sasuke wanted to hide the cherry blossom and hold onto her forever. He glared at the transparent girl. "You make her sound like some plaything."

"_Moving on: She _is_ a puzzle. Always has been, always will, and it's your job to collect the pieces."_

It wasn't as if the onyx-eyes boy didn't want to do it. His response was merely out of spite. "Why can't you do it?"

"_Uh, dead, remember?"_

The Uchiha made a sound and Sakura stirred.

"_The tears of a broken heart, my friend. Tears of a broken heart."_

"What?"

"Sasuke?"

Glancing down, his cherry bloom had woken up and had her bright emerald locked on him. _Tears…_Ria's voice rang in his mind. _Broken heart…_

"Sasuke? What's wrong?"

Instinct getting the better of him, he reached out and stroked her cheek again, making the breath hitch in her throat. The sound triggered something within him and he snatched her wrists, ripping her towards him. A small yip escaped her lips, her eyes wide with emotions he couldn't read.

"S-Sasuke?"

He let his face pull into a soft smile. "It's okay. Just go back to sleep."

The emerald-eyed girl nodded and let her eyes drift shut, nuzzling close into his body. "Don't leave. I don't want any more nightmares."

Upon hearing that, it was Sasuke's turn to hitch his breath. So he was right? The reaction to his touch earlier had caused a dream to form.

A dream about her dad…

Sasuke shook his head clear, wrapping his arms around the fragile girl as she drifted away again. "I'm not going anywhere."

"_Tears of a broken heart, Sasuke. Save my sister."_

**%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%**

**Athey-Vee: I have to assume my apologies mean absolutely nothing by now, so I'm not going to bother. **

**Sakura: She's sorry.**

**Athey-Vee: Yeah, I really am.**

**Sakura: Aw, relax, Athey. They understand. Balancing writing with school is really hard. They know you write slow.**

**Athey-Vee: It's been online for over a year.**

**Sakura: Oh my god, really?**

**Athey-Vee: *gives Sakura the not-helping look***

**Sakura: Sorry.**

**Athey-Vee: Anywho, to anyone who's still reading this, I am indeed still writing. I'm am not discontinuing. (I repeat: I am NOT discontinuing.) Please just be patient with me, as I try to get Sasuke and Ria on the same page. -_-U**

**Sakura: Read&Review! And feel free to message Athey! She'll explain anything that is confusing! Thanks so much! Say thank you, Athey.**

**Athey-Vee: *calling over her shoulder* I'm working!**

**Sakura: *sweatdrops; turns to audience* Well, I have to assume that's a good sign. Now, please excuse me while I go de-Naruto my bedroom. *sweet smile; rushes away* NAAAARUUUUUTOOOOO!**


End file.
